Irish Ferries begins laying off workers

Irish Ferries has begun laying off workers due to an escalating row over attempts to outsource staff on a shipping route, it was confirmed today.

A spokesman for the cargo and passenger service said it had cancelled 14 sailings between Ireland and Britain as a workers’ union engaged in an “indefinite” period of industrial action.

“We have begun the process of laying off staff, people through no fault of their own, across the ratings sector which includes catering, making beds, cleaning cabins and loading the cars,” the spokesman said.

“It will be a progressive thing, it may affect people ashore. If it goes on it could endanger the 1,200 people employed here.”

The company cancelled ferry services from Ireland to Holyhead and Pembroke yesterday, in advance of a strike which was due to begin at 6am this morning.

SIPTU, which represents some of the seafarers, said that management locked out workers – leaving passengers, cargo and crews stranded in the UK.

Two ferries – the Ulysses and the Isle Of Inishmore – are still tied up in Holyhead and Pembroke after the sailings were cancelled yesterday.

Union members said they were provoked into taking action over plans to outsource around 150 jobs on the route to Cherbourg in France, cutting payroll costs by a further €3.5m a year. Union chiefs claimed as many as 300 workers could face redundancy.

The union also claimed ferry bosses had failed to follow a nine-month-old Labour Court recommendation for all sides to agree on cost-cutting measures.

“Management’s decision to replace Irish and other European workers with low cost agency crews without agreement or consultation is totally unacceptable,” said SIPTU official, Paul Smyth.

SIPTU said that Pat "The Cope" Gallagher, Minister of State at the Marine Department, must demand an explanation from the company.

The union said it had told management that it was willing to meet them to address costs without outsourcing the crew of the MV Normandy.

“We are also repeating our call to the Labour Relations Commission to request that management lift the lock-out and engage with the union, without precondition, in an effort to reach agreement on the cost issues,” he said.

However, Irish Ferries claimed that staff on the route were offered voluntary redundancy and there were no forced job losses.

The company said that over 80% have already taken the redundancy package - with the company paying out over €8m.

Irish Ferries would not put a value on the cost of the cancelled services but claimed the strike was also causing “consequential” damage to the economy with freight, haulage and tourism passengers affected.